UNHCR's office in Bosnia and Herzegovina advocated for allowing access to territory by asylum-seekers and access to asylum procedures, including with the Ministry of Security and the border police authorities. UNHCR organised 28 border monitoring missions to visit actors engaged in the reception and processing of entering asylum-seekers.
In Kosovo (S/RES/1244 (1999)), UNHCR and its legal aid partner increased the border monitoring missions with 188 monitoring visits in 2018. Of them, 82 visits at the border crossing points and green border lines, 37 community visits, 24 visits in Pristina International Airport and 10 visits in the offices of the Border Police authorities. The monitoring team conducted additional 35 visits in the asylum centre. Additional two cross-border monitoring activities with UNHCR Office in Tirana and its partner were implemented, aimed at strengthening the cooperation and coordination of the Kosovar and Albanian Border Migration Police to better understand and assess the situation and provide the needed protection intervention. A significant increase of arrivals from Albania was observed especially from August to December, caused due to the tightening of the border controls between Albania and Montenegro. Most of the new arrivals entered irregularly from Albania. One pushback incident from Serbia and 5 from Montenegro affecting 18 individuals were recorded. On the other hand, 14 pushbacks from Kosovo to Albania affected 81 individuals. Another concerning issue remained the denial of entry to the Turkish nationals done by the border police of Pristina Airport (88 incidents involving 275 individuals), accordingly due to non-fulfillment of the entry criteria as per legislation in force. All identified protection incidents were promptly reported to the PBM IMS.
The refugee/migrant flow considerably increased in the North Macedonia in 2018, however the Government still lacks capacity to address the protection needs of people on the move. UNHCR continued border monitoring with 2 UNHCR staff and 3 affiliated workforce staff, conducting field visits five days a week. MYLA counselled some 7,489 people of concern and carried out 73 legal interventions, whereas some 1,394 people of concern received legal assistance/information and two legal interventions were carried out. Additionally, 51 monitoring visits to Gazi Baba Center for Foreigners provided information about the right to asylum to 86 detainees. The Antenna lawyers prepared 22 reports for initiatives checking information about cases of smuggling of people of concern, and cooperation strengthened in two meetings with MYLA and Antenna Lawyers from Gevgelija and Kumanovo, followed by three additional meetings with lawyers from Bitola, Kavadarci and Strumica.
In 2018, Montenegro continued to be primarily a country of transit, with a sharp rise in the number of asylum-seekers and people on the move. This led to a consequent tightening of the borders, in particular with Albania, from where most of asylum seekers and migrants arrived. This resulted in a push-back of 843 people from Montenegro to Albania; 425 push-backs from other countries, primarily from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia to Montenegro, while 10 people were pushed back from Montenegro to Serbia, and 11 from Montenegro to Bosnia and Herzegovina. In addition to the monitoring of the border with Albania, Serbia, Kosovo and Croatia, UNHCR enhanced its monitoring presence in the Pljevlja region, which turned out to be the main exit point of those transiting through the Western Balkans route to reach the EU. Through this activity, the often rough conduct of the Bosnia and Herzegovina border authorities was recorded. Along with that, UNHCR pivoted a basic screening to identify people with genuine protection needs. These people were provided with basic legal information, assistance with NFIs and short-term accommodation and access to health-care.